Lane County Copies City Restrictions
Lane County has joined the City of Florence in banning plastics and plastic coated containers from its recycling stations in its Florence and Swisshome locations. Other county recycling operations will not be affected by this change. The County’s press release says that it is trying to maintain a consistent collection program for each local jurisdiction. Sarah Grimm, waste specialist for the county, says for years they have had to remove non-recyclable items from bulk collections because people did not understand exactly which products were recyclable. China has already stopped receiving contaminated loads because of the amount of unusable trash in them. The County hopes to reeducate the public so that it can once again start accepting items that can actually be transported.
County Employees Poised to Strike
Some county services could be at risk if an agreement is not made between Lane County and the largest employee union representing county employees. Reported in the Register Guard, The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 2831 says they are not going to accept the current pay and benefit proposal from the county which amounts to less than a 3% increase. They say the proposal pales in comparison to the 16.4 % increase given to the county administrator or the 13.7 % increase the board of commissioners gave themselves. The county says that the union’s proposal would put a severe dent in the county’s budget over the next 3 years.
Vehicle Hits Pedestrian
A pedestrian is in stable condition at Peace Harbor Medical center after being struck by a vehicle while crossing Highway 101 at 21st street. The accident happened at 12:14 Monday afternoon. Witnesses said a man carrying a red and white cane was trying to cross the street when a vehicle turning north on Highway 101 hit him. John Pitcher with the Florence Police Department said the driver was cited for failure to stop and remain stopped for a pedestrian.
Dune City Meeting
Dune City is seeking residents to serve on its citizen advisory committee that is reviewing the Land Use Codes of Dune City. At their meeting this Wednesday they will also be looking to fill the vacancy created when Robert Forsythe became mayor. His city council seat is currently vacant
Distracted Driving: Not Just A Phone Problem
In light of new laws concerning distracted driving, AAA Oregon has released a report that warns that infotainment systems that are prevalent in new vehicles can be as dangerous as trying to use your cell phone while driving. The study found that drivers attention can be diverted as much as 40 seconds while trying to access commands and information on their vehicles screen including gps functions and messaging.
